2. Guided Reading Lesson with Layered Book - Constructing or During Reading Strategy
Rationale: I chose this reading strategy lesson because I wanted to remind students of the strategies they have or are currently learning and to explicitly teach new ones.In order to make sense of the text, readers draw on a combination of their personal experiences, what they know about the world, and their previous experiences with texts.
The more a reader connects prior previous knowledge and experience to the genre and information in the text, the easier it is to understand the text and learn from it.
A guided reading lesson provides explicit demonstrations of various methods of connections and focusing thinking on the topic at hand.The teacher scaffolds students by providing enough information to get the reading started while still leaving substantial reading for the students. Strategies include: üdrawing on relevant background knowledge to begin making connections with content and concepts;
ütaking note of the information on front- and back -cover text and pictures; üskimming and scanning the table of contents, index, headings, and subheading; üsetting their purposes for reading; ürecognizing and using text structure and organization such as sequence or comparisons of information; üasking questions about the text; ügathering information from headings and subheadings; üperusing the text to get an overview of the content and to find the different ways the author has communicated the information; ünoting information in a chart, map, or diagram; ürecognizing words or phrases that signal structural patterns; (Linda Hoyt, Margaret Mooney, and Brenda Parkes, Exploring Informational Texts, From Theory to Practice, Page 73 and 74)
The main purpose in selecting Big Digs was to provide the group with experience with problem/solution structures in informational texts.
Courses in which it could be implemented:
I used the guided reading strategy in my 8th grade Language Arts class with regular Language Arts and inclusion (struggling readers).I used Hoyt, Mooney, and Parkes’s example for the guided reading lesson on page 73-80.I used the book Big Dig.It is a small book at a lower reading level, but it was useful because we didn’t have to worry about understanding the context.I was mainly teaching students how to use the reading strategies above to read a non-fiction informational book.These strategies mentioned above will help students in their other core subjects such as science and history.These subjects already use informational basals or texts to teach the lessons.This guided lesson with this type of text will teach students specific strategies to use in their other subjects.This lesson can be incorporated in to science and history with resources and with the basals as well.
Diverse learners:
Basically, any learner can benefit from this lesson.As mentioned, I used it with struggling readers and average to a little above average readers.These are the students who can benefit from a refresher of reading strategies to use with non-fiction informational type texts.It also provides new strategies in this guided reading lesson on an informational text.Students then gain knowledge they can use in other subjects and other texts.These are the students who need the extra lessons in how to read for information.
Procedure:
How will you implement this strategy in your classes? 1.I made copies of Big Digs.It is a small book and I used the copier to make a set of classroom copies.I have one original book I made copies of.I then took the copies and used it in four of my classes.They shouldn’t write in them, but only take notes on a separate piece of paper. 2.I give a brief description of the book and why we are reading it.I explain that we are going to learn or refresh ourselves on strategies for reading informational/non-fiction-type texts.I explain that these strategies will help them in other subjects such as history.I said we are also reading to learn how to identify problems and solutions in informational writing by using these strategies. 3.I hand out their copies and show them my book and let them see some of the colored pictures.I read the back cover to them.I explain that the book is about three huge building projects that incurred several problems as they were being built and it is their job to identify the problems and the solutions for each of the big dig projects. 4.I explain that once we have skimmed and scanned through the book looking for several strategies within the book that can aid their reading and understanding of the content, we will read through and identify, first, why each project was built.Second, students are to find the problems and solutions to the problems that each project experienced, recording the problems and solutions for each project on separate paper. 5.Our final product will be layered books where we will record the reasons why each project was constructed, and the problems and solutions that each big dig project experienced. I show them a copy of my layered book with the tabs labeled. I explain how to fold it and how and where to record the information. (All students make a layered book.) 6.I ask students to tell me different ways that the author has organized information. We filter through the book, skimming and scanning. 7.I take responses from students who offer information such as:photographs, maps, captions, diagrams, fact boxes, table of contents, and I ask questions and help them understand the diagrams and maps. (If they don’t know where the Panama Canal is, I tell them to look at page 8; if they don’t understand how a lock works, I point out page 12.) 8.We get into groups of 4 to 5 and read.Students take turns reading the chapters with me (the teacher) floating from group to group reading with them, prompting them, and scaffolding them.I guide their reading as I move from group to group. It took two class periods. One student must be the recorder to write down why the big dig projects were built and the problems and solutions encountered with each project. ---However, in my inclusion class with my struggling readers, we read as a whole group with me guiding the entire reading of the book and students share in the reading. 9.Once again I show the class as a whole group how to fold the paper for the layered book and how to glue the one piece of paper in it to make three tabs.I show them my completed folded one I constructed and labeled. (All students make a layered book.) 10.Students get two pieces of paper, preferably one of which is colored.They get a glue stick and they are ready to make their layered book.(See my example in the binder.) The recorder must share the notes with others to remind them of the problems and solutions.They must discuss together using their Big Dig handout and notes.They must discuss and share the problems and solutions they read about for each big dig project so that each student can fill out their layered book accordingly with the proper information. 11.Once the books are completed, they are ready to hand in and assess to see if students were able to use reading strategies to understand the content and record the necessary information. The recording of the information should be in an organized fashion, and incorporate each problem(s) and solution(s) for each project.
Potential Issues:
The problem I found when I conducted this lesson March 2009 was when students got into their groups and only one recorder was taking down information.If there was not good communication between members in the group, the members of the group with the exception of the recorder were at a disadvantage, especially if they couldn’t read the recorder’s handwriting.Sometimes some members were not fully paying attention and then the group recorder didn’t feel required to give the students who were “goofing off” the information.Therefore, next time each student will be responsible for their own reading, recording and constructing of the layered books.Or, I’ll reduce the size of the groups to paired guided reading.As mentioned above, in the struggling readers class we read as a whole group with me guiding their reading throughout the book. They took their own notes as we found problems and solutions in whole group and each student has their own set of notes to use for their layered books.
References (Bibliography Information & Cross reference the Resource Binder):
Content Area Reading 465 Lesson per Darci Harland - Making Layered Books. (2009).
Hoyt, L., Mooney, M., & Parke, B. (2003). Exploring informational texts: From theory to practice. Introducing the text (pp.73 -74). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Meish, G. (2002). Big digs. New York: Newbridge.
Tina's Own Development. (2009). -Copies of Big Digs
-Model of a Layered Book Foldable
(**All Cross Referenced in E-portfolio Reading in the Content Area 465 Reading Strategies Resource Binder.)
Rationale:
I chose this reading strategy lesson because I wanted to remind students of the strategies they have or are currently learning and to explicitly teach new ones. In order to make sense of the text, readers draw on a combination of their personal experiences, what they know about the world, and their previous experiences with texts.
The more a reader connects prior previous knowledge and experience to the genre and information in the text, the easier it is to understand the text and learn from it.
A guided reading lesson provides explicit demonstrations of various methods of connections and focusing thinking on the topic at hand. The teacher scaffolds students by providing enough information to get the reading started while still leaving substantial reading for the students.
Strategies include:
ü drawing on relevant background knowledge to begin making connections with content and concepts;
ü taking note of the information on front- and back -cover text and pictures;
ü skimming and scanning the table of contents, index, headings, and subheading;
ü setting their purposes for reading;
ü recognizing and using text structure and organization such as sequence or comparisons of information;
ü asking questions about the text;
ü gathering information from headings and subheadings;
ü perusing the text to get an overview of the content and to find the different ways the author has communicated the information;
ü noting information in a chart, map, or diagram;
ü recognizing words or phrases that signal structural patterns;
(Linda Hoyt, Margaret Mooney, and Brenda Parkes,
Exploring Informational Texts, From Theory to Practice, Page 73 and 74)
The main purpose in selecting Big Digs was to provide the group with experience with problem/solution structures in informational texts.
Courses in which it could be implemented:
I used the guided reading strategy in my 8th grade Language Arts class with regular Language Arts and inclusion (struggling readers). I used Hoyt, Mooney, and Parkes’s example for the guided reading lesson on page 73-80. I used the book Big Dig. It is a small book at a lower reading level, but it was useful because we didn’t have to worry about understanding the context. I was mainly teaching students how to use the reading strategies above to read a non-fiction informational book. These strategies mentioned above will help students in their other core subjects such as science and history. These subjects already use informational basals or texts to teach the lessons. This guided lesson with this type of text will teach students specific strategies to use in their other subjects. This lesson can be incorporated in to science and history with resources and with the basals as well.
Diverse learners:
Basically, any learner can benefit from this lesson. As mentioned, I used it with struggling readers and average to a little above average readers. These are the students who can benefit from a refresher of reading strategies to use with non-fiction informational type texts. It also provides new strategies in this guided reading lesson on an informational text. Students then gain knowledge they can use in other subjects and other texts. These are the students who need the extra lessons in how to read for information.
Procedure:
How will you implement this strategy in your classes?
1. I made copies of Big Digs. It is a small book and I used the copier to make a set of classroom copies. I have one original book I made copies of. I then took the copies and used it in four of my classes. They shouldn’t write in them, but only take notes on a separate piece of paper.
2. I give a brief description of the book and why we are reading it. I explain that we are going to learn or refresh ourselves on strategies for reading informational/non-fiction-type texts. I explain that these strategies will help them in other subjects such as history. I said we are also reading to learn how to identify problems and solutions in informational writing by using these strategies.
3. I hand out their copies and show them my book and let them see some of the colored pictures. I read the back cover to them. I explain that the book is about three huge building projects that incurred several problems as they were being built and it is their job to identify the problems and the solutions for each of the big dig projects.
4. I explain that once we have skimmed and scanned through the book looking for several strategies within the book that can aid their reading and understanding of the content, we will read through and identify, first, why each project was built. Second, students are to find the problems and solutions to the problems that each project experienced, recording the problems and solutions for each project on separate paper.
5. Our final product will be layered books where we will record the reasons why each project was constructed, and the problems and solutions that each big dig project experienced. I show them a copy of my layered book with the tabs labeled. I explain how to fold it and how and where to record the information. (All students make a layered book.)
6. I ask students to tell me different ways that the author has organized information. We filter through the book, skimming and scanning.
7. I take responses from students who offer information such as: photographs, maps, captions, diagrams, fact boxes, table of contents, and I ask questions and help them understand the diagrams and maps. (If they don’t know where the Panama Canal is, I tell them to look at page 8; if they don’t understand how a lock works, I point out page 12.)
8. We get into groups of 4 to 5 and read. Students take turns reading the chapters with me (the teacher) floating from group to group reading with them, prompting them, and scaffolding them. I guide their reading as I move from group to group. It took two class periods. One student must be the recorder to write down why the big dig projects were built and the problems and solutions encountered with each project. ---However, in my inclusion class with my struggling readers, we read as a whole group with me guiding the entire reading of the book and students share in the reading.
9. Once again I show the class as a whole group how to fold the paper for the layered book and how to glue the one piece of paper in it to make three tabs. I show them my completed folded one I constructed and labeled. (All students make a layered book.)
10. Students get two pieces of paper, preferably one of which is colored. They get a glue stick and they are ready to make their layered book. (See my example in the binder.) The recorder must share the notes with others to remind them of the problems and solutions. They must discuss together using their Big Dig handout and notes. They must discuss and share the problems and solutions they read about for each big dig project so that each student can fill out their layered book accordingly with the proper information.
11. Once the books are completed, they are ready to hand in and assess to see if students were able to use reading strategies to understand the content and record the necessary information. The recording of the information should be in an organized fashion, and incorporate each problem(s) and solution(s) for each project.
Potential Issues:
The problem I found when I conducted this lesson March 2009 was when students got into their groups and only one recorder was taking down information. If there was not good communication between members in the group, the members of the group with the exception of the recorder were at a disadvantage, especially if they couldn’t read the recorder’s handwriting. Sometimes some members were not fully paying attention and then the group recorder didn’t feel required to give the students who were “goofing off” the information. Therefore, next time each student will be responsible for their own reading, recording and constructing of the layered books. Or, I’ll reduce the size of the groups to paired guided reading. As mentioned above, in the struggling readers class we read as a whole group with me guiding their reading throughout the book. They took their own notes as we found problems and solutions in whole group and each student has their own set of notes to use for their layered books.
References (Bibliography Information & Cross reference the Resource Binder):
Content Area Reading 465 Lesson per Darci Harland - Making Layered Books. (2009).
Hoyt, L., Mooney, M., & Parke, B. (2003). Exploring informational texts: From theory to practice. Introducing the text (pp.73 -74). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Meish, G. (2002). Big digs. New York: Newbridge.
Tina's Own Development. (2009).
-Copies of Big Digs
-Model of a Layered Book Foldable
(**All Cross Referenced in E-portfolio Reading in the Content Area 465 Reading Strategies Resource Binder.)